Inginiyagala Community-based Computer Centre

In many of the schools in Sri Lanka’s rural areas, Computer and IT facilities are in very short supply. Typically there is one computer for hundreds of students or no computers at all.  This basic shortage prevents access to all the networked world presents in terms of information access, and learning of all kinds.

Inginiyagala Community based Computer Center was opened on the 19^th September 2013 to mark the 6^th Anniversary of the Aspirations Foundation set up ay 'Polwaga Janapadaya' at Inginiyagala.  It has 9 computers with networking & internet facilities.

The objective is to:

• provide basic computer knowledge for primary & secondary school children and Tertiary students at cost
• conduct basic, intermediate and advance computer courses at low cost for impoverished communities around.
• provide educational software to make their classes interesting.
• train the teachers who are not computer literate.
• be used as an E-library where information related to their subjects can be downloaded and referred to occupy the students during free periods if teachers are absent.

Why Computer Labs?

• There’s no access to computer training in and around Inginiyagala town.
• School children have to go to the Ampara city which is approximately 30 km away from the Inginiyagala town.
• There are 6-7 schools at Inginiyagala without proper computers or computer teachers.

The project is managed by the “Arunaloka: Community based Organization with technical support of Advance Training Center in Ampara

The initial cost for the below was incurred by the Aspirations Education Foundation

•  Cost of Renovation of the computer room.
•  Cost of Hardware and soft ware
•  Cost of Trainers

Progress so far

The first batch of 60 children have completed the first “Basic Information Technology” course under the following categories.

• Grade 6-8
• Grade 9-10
• Grade 11-13

The awarding of certificates will be held in the first week of April and the next batch of 60 children will commence the IT course in that same week.

Proposed Computer Lab project at schools

Aspirations wish to transition this to a school-based project, following the recent request from principal of Dhammajothi Vidyalaya, Waddeniya Alawwa. Local schools, like the community is bereft of IT facilities. Aspirations’ school-based computer lab project consists of the following inputs.

• To set up an IT lab with 5 computers and printer in all needy schools.
• To provide the Internet facilities and necessary software
• To provide a qualified computer teacher where necessary.
• To renovate a school room to suit to the computer lab environment

Objectives

• To conduct basic computer programs for various categories of the School children.E.g. Year 1-5, year 6-9, Year 11-13. 
• To allow children to have knowledge of emails and Internets
• To allow teachers to get basic training in IT
• To conduct classes for the school leavers at cost
• To conduct computer hardware training for the school leavers. 

 

Get involved! 

The project requires:

IT, Computer Science and Networking students with hands on hardware and software skills to assist with fundraising and spreading the program to schools in the Ampara District.  You may be invited to participate to the multinational Project team travelling to Ampara, Sri Lanka in January 2015. Interested students should email Katey O'Sullivan at Deakin's Student Mobility Office - katey.osullivan@deakin.edu.au.